Tesco boss Ashwin Prasad calls for support to help farmers adopt low-carbon fertilisers

Tesco's commercial director Ashwin Prasad has said farmers need more financial and policy support to switch to low-carbon fertilisers. Speaking to The Grocer, Prasad argued that the cost and risk of adopting greener alternatives are currently too high for many growers, and that retailers and government must share the burden. The move is part of Tesco's broader push to cut emissions across its supply chain. Low-carbon fertilisers, such as those made from green ammonia or captured CO2, can significantly reduce agricultural emissions. But they remain more expensive and less available than conventional products. Prasad's comments highlight a tension between corporate net zero targets and the real economics of farming. Without subsidies or shared investment, the transition will stall. For carbon credit markets, this story matters because agricultural emissions are hard to abate and often overlooked. If large buyers like Tesco push for low-carbon inputs, it could create demand signals that support new offset methodologies or supply chain carbon accounting frameworks. The question is whether the policy and funding will follow.